Chocolate Anyone?

Stressful times can trigger bad habits. Have you ever noticed that when you are in crisis, you feel less motivated to eat healthy or to exercise? Do you find yourself reaching for a chocolate bar to soothe the tension? After eating that treat, do you then convince yourself that you feel too anxious to exercise?

Here's a big-picture way to view this dilemma.

We are conditioned to resist change and to worry about the things we can't control.  Much of the stress of living now is connected with a growing uncertainty and a knowing that much needs to change within us and in our outer world.  We know that we need to change but knowing that doesn't make it easy. Sometimes even contemplating what to change first can trigger a feeling of crisis.

When we face a crisis - big or small - the habitual tendency is to reach for something that will make us feel better - at least temporarily. You know what your favorite soothers are. Perhaps one of them is chocolate! Nothing is all good or all bad, not even your chocolate habit. Did you know that an ingredient found in dark chocolate has been found to boost the benefits of exercise? Below is a link to a story about chocolate and exercise. Before reading it, consider how you personally manage stress and whether your stress-management habits have benefits. Don't be hard on yourself - that will just add to your stress - give yourself a dose of kindness like no one else could do!

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-chocolate-exercise,0,7514975.story